Catch Up

I haven't been able to get out and about birding as much as I would have liked. The only birds which I have seen regularly during the week are Turtle Doves, Grasshopper Warbler, Barn Owl, Cuckoo and Grey Partridge at Harrington.
Yesterday {19th May}as I was driving along between Fotheringhay and Warmington I heard a Nightingale in full song !!!  However it would not show itself and remained hidden in the hedge.
Also yesterday Eric Graham visited Titchmarsh Reserve and writes " warbler numbers greatly reduced, but still managed Willow, Sedge, Reed, Cettis and Garden Warbler , Whitethroat and Chiffchaff.. We watched a pair of Cuckoo, he was flying around her calling and she was giggling like a teenager, it was fun to see the interaction. There was a pair of Oystercatcher on the Long Island and plenty of Swift and at last hundreds of Martins hawking low over Aldwincle mixed with good numbers of Swallows.  As we walked along brancy brook we looked up to see a Great White Egret fly over head and land on Thorpe Lake ".

Over the weekend some ringing has taken place. Yesterday Kenny Cramer was ringing at Linford where 20 birds of 8 species were ringed including 6 Reed Warblers, 2 Blackcap and 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker.  5 Greenfinches were caught, maybe an encouraging sign that this species is on the increase at Linford.  Interestingly 2 of the Reed Warblers were retraps of birds originally ringed in 2016 and encountered again 2017.
Today John Woollett undertook a ringing session at Stortons gravel pits where 23 birds were processed. Wren 1. Chiffchaff 2, Song Thrush 2, Blackbird 3, Garden Warbler 1, Reed Warbler 4, Cettis Warbler 1, Sedge Warbler 2, and Robin 3.
Highlight was a retrap Reed Warbler from 2014.

Regards Eleanor